Students learn about eBook readers during final day of class The days of dust collecting on previously read books sitting on a shelf may soon be a thing of the past.
With the growing popularity of eBooks, more and more people are opting to use the handheld devices that can not only hold thousands of books on one unit, some also can serve as music players, small computers and even display photos.
Technology instructor Frank Nosal presented the ?eBook Readers? class to students on Friday at the Pueblo Community College Fremont Campus Senior Mini College.
Nosal gave descriptions on the features of eBooks and had several on hand for students to look at and try out.
Students Ron and Toni McIrvin have been using their Kindles for about three years.
Ron, 75, said his nephew introduced him to the Kindle, and now that he and his wife each have their own, he will never go back to reading traditional books with print.
Toni said that her Kindle allows her to adjust the font on the screen, so she can read a larger print.
Sue Small said she signed up for the class to get a basic introduction of eBooks.
?I have heard people talking about the Nook and Kindle and I wanted to find out the advantages of one or the other before I buy one,? she said.
Nosal said eBook readers have really come to the forefront in the last two years.
?That?s when they really started hitting the market,? he said. ?They?re more than just a reader, because you can use them as a computer if you?re traveling you can even go on the Internet with it and it has a built in browser.?
Nosal said a typical eBook reader weighs between one and four pounds, and can store between 1,000 to more than a half a million pages of text and graphics.
Another popular feature is the back lit screen which makes reading in the dark possible.
Some books can be downloaded free or at reduced cost, Nosal said, however prices for many eBooks ? especially best sellers ? generally are less than those of hardcover books.
Some libraries are beginning to use the cyber shelf now.
?The books get checked out through your library card, you download it on your computer, and then from what I understand, after two or three weeks, that book will disappear off of your reader automatically,? he said.
Some cell phones also can be set up to read eBooks.
?Phones are becoming more sophisticated built in with these new technologies,? Nosal said, ?which put all of the devices into one device.?
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